September 2, 2010

Mercer Opens 2010 on the Road against Gardner-Webb and Winthrop

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's soccer team will kick off its 2010 season with a four-game road trip starting with contests at Gardner-Webb on September 3 and Winthrop on September 5.

 

Head coach Brad Ruzzo enters his third season as the head coach at Mercer, holding a 9-22-7 record. Ruzzo had his best season at the helm in 2009, leading the Bears to a 7-11-2 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Atlantic Sun Championship Game.

 

Captain Ian Cameron is the lone senior on this year's squad. A three-year starter, Cameron has started 49 of 51 career matches at his central midfield position. The Glasgow, Scotland native is also the top returning scorer for Mercer and finished second in the A-Sun with 18 points (7G, 4A) in 2009.

 

Goalkeeper Brett Petricek returns for his sophomore campaign after posting a microscopic 1.29 goals against average and four shutouts as a true freshman.

 

The Bears return nine starters and 14 letterwinners from last year's squad and welcome 10 newcomers to the roster.

 

Mercer finished its three-match preseason schedule with a 1-2-0 mark. The Orange and Black sandwiched a 4-0 home win against Oglethorpe on August 23 with road losses at Georgia Southern (1-0) and Clayton State (3-2). Six different players found the back of the net for Mercer in preseason action including Cameron and starting sophomore forward Richie Edmondson.

 

Scouting the Opposition

Gardner-Webb posted a 0-1-2 mark in exhibition action, dropping a 2-1 decision to Marshall on August 21, before registering back-to-back 0-0 ties against Limestone College and Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs finished the 2009 season with an 8-6-3 overall mark and return 21 letterwinners from last year's squad. Head coach Tony Setzer enters his 24th season in charge of the Bulldogs program with a 155-247-27 career record. The Bears lead the all-time series over Gardner-Webb, 6-2.

Winthrop was 0-2-1 in preseason play, dropping back-to-back home contests against Furman and Charlotte before playing to a 1-1 draw against Elon on August 28. The Eagles finished the 2009 season at 11-6-4 and won its second consecutive Big South conference title. Rich Posipanko enters his 22nd season as head coach at Winthrop, compiling a 216-170-30 career record. Winthrop leads the all-time series against Mercer, 2-1.

 

Game Notes

 

- The Mercer men's soccer program is entering its 50^th season of NCAA Division I competition this fall.

 

- Mercer is looking for its third consecutive trip to the A-Sun Championship after missing the postseason tournament in 2007 for the first time since 1997.

 

- Coach Ruzzo is just four wins away from passing Barry Myers for the third-most coaching victories in Mercer men's soccer history.

 

- Cameron needs just one more assist to move into the top 10 in career assists at Mercer.

 

- Mercer was picked to finish fifth in the 2010 Atlantic Sun Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll, while senior Cameron and Petricek were named to the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team. Mercer's fifth-place selection is the highest ranking in the annual preseason poll since it was picked to finish third in 2006. It is also the first time the Bears have placed two members on the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team since seniors Vicente Arze and Richard Perdomo received the honor in 2007.